Pei Zhan pondered, "If anything happens to His Majesty, even if the Grand Prince suddenly appears, this crisis will not transition smoothly as we wish. Given the sudden nature of this event, there will always be those who find it hard to accept his presence, or who will question it. The Empress’s decision is correct; this matter must be dealt with carefully over time. The one named Lian is still scheming in the dark, and removing this malignant tumor is the top priority."
"Indeed." Fu Zhen nodded, "The military information you investigated in the northwest should take some time before it reaches His Majesty. During this period, we must do everything in our power to persuade the Grand Prince to join the opposition camp. First, we must work together to resolve the crisis in Dongzi, then eliminate Lian Yang, and eradicate the remnants of Dayue to concentrate our efforts on ensuring a smooth transition for the court."
Pei Zhan paced the room twice, then stopped at the window, "The Grand Prince is steadfast in nature. Having experienced so many hardships, his resolve is not easily swayed. Tomorrow, you should first inform him of tonight’s events. Until we come up with a better solution, the current plan is to do all we can to foster a harmonious relationship between him and the Empress."
"Shaoyang and I have been training the troops lately. If there is unrest in the northwest, we must be prepared to dispatch reinforcements at any time; we cannot afford delays."
"I understand." Fu Zhen stood up, "You should go about your tasks. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the Wanbin Building."
Pei Zhan rested a supportive hand on her shoulder, nodding, then called out loudly for Ziyan, "Prepare water for the Young Madam to wash up."
...
To Yang Yi, this night felt as interminable as eternity.
After returning from the Pei Mansion, he washed as usual, changed clothes, and lay on the bed, calmly staring at the canopy.
This gaze lasted until the horizon turned white.
When He Zhao brought in hot water, he saw him wide-eyed, paused at the door, then put the basin down and approached.
"It appears, Master, you haven’t slept all night again."
Yang Yi slipped on his shoes and got out of bed, sitting by the window.
The sky was just barely light, and it was already mid-autumn. Several pots of chrysanthemums in the courtyard were covered with a thin layer of frost.
He Zhao wrung out a cloth and handed it to him, "Master, wipe your face first."
Yang Yi took the cloth, wiped his face, then went to the basin to wash up on his own. The sound of water trickling from his fingers into the basin rang loudly in the silent morning.
After the water ceased, Yang Yi finally straightened up. He looked down at his reflection in the basin and rested his hands on the washstand, bowing his head again.
He Zhao couldn’t help but step forward, "If you’re truly uncomfortable, Master, I can escort you out of the capital city ahead of time."
Yang Yi kept his head down in silence, and after a long while, he shook his head and said, "Though I indeed wish to be a coward this time, I can’t leave now. Even if I left, I would be brought back."
"Master, you don’t need to be so hard on yourself."
He Zhao could hardly bear to watch, biting his lower lip in sympathy.
"How can you call this being hard on myself?" Yang Yi gazed deeply into the mirror before him, "From the moment I decided last night to step through this door and go to the Pei household, I stopped being hard on myself.
"This is my own choice.
"My mother never abandoned me, never intended to sacrifice me, so I have no reason to remain obstinate any longer."
"However, the Empress and His Majesty should be of one accord. And if this news reaches His Majesty’s ears, none of us can predict the repercussions."
"Since things have come to this, why continue to hesitate?"
He Zhao had no words to counter.
Yang Yi put down the cloth and then turned around, "Being able to meet my mother and clear up these misunderstandings in person has already made it worthwhile.
"After seeing her last night, I suddenly felt at ease. It turns out that all these years, I was also being stubborn, on one hand doubting whether she was in league with my father, on the other hand, hoping that she wouldn’t be like that.
"Family ties became my shackles. Even after all these years, though I am fully capable of handling my life, once the past is mentioned, I can’t break free.
"So when I heard my mother wasn’t doing well, I went without hesitation, regardless of whether it went against the principles I had set for myself.
"I knew I would see her, and while it was unexpected that she wasn’t actually ill.
"But I felt relieved instead, feeling as if heaven granted me time as a favor.
"In solving the misunderstanding, it was something I anticipated. Ever since the third brother’s suspicions arose, the scales in my heart had already tipped.
"I already had the answer in my heart. From that moment on, I felt light, perhaps this is what I had been waiting for over the past twenty-some years.